Tech Pioneer Warren Salmon Earns TMU Distinction

By Neil Armstrong

Warren G. Salmon, the founder and CEO of Black Board International and First Fridays, was among seven outstanding graduates celebrated by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) “whose work is changing industries and communities across Canada and beyond.”

The honourees were recognized at a recent special 2025 Alumni Achievement Awards ceremony for being leaders who embody the university’s commitment to excellence, leadership and service.

“This year’s awards celebrate alumni trailblazers whose work is transforming industries, uplifting communities and inspiring the next generation of leaders. These alumni are tackling everything from kidney transplant research to bringing diverse voices to Canadian literature,” notes the university.

Salmon built Black Board International, an online service company providing tech products and content for people of African descent. He also founded First Fridays, a monthly networking event connecting business leaders with speakers from the arts, education, politics and business.

The TMU alumnus, who earned a degree in Applied Computer Science in 1985 at what was then known as Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, said what he learned there has been foundational in everything that he has done.

Listening to a presentation by Guyanese-British historian, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, influenced his pursuit of knowledge about the history of Black people.

“He wrote some books like Blacks in Science: Ancient and Modern, and They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America. He was talking about the great contributions of people of African descent going back thousands of years,” said Salmon, noting that this was information that was not taught in school.

“That really was a big component of wanting to start Ashaware, an education-focused software platform for children and adults focused on the contributions of people of African descent. It is very interactive, images, videos, games and activities,” said Salmon, noting that educators wanted to see that kind of representation in the material showcased.

While growing up in Toronto, he was exposed to a lot of culture through his parents, Toronto’s first Black female city councillor, Beverley Salmon, and Dr. John Douglas Salmon who was the first Black surgeon in Canada.

Warren said his mother lived a life of service in Toronto and he felt a calling to follow in a similar vein and try to make a difference.

He came across First Fridays, a networking event that African-American entrepreneurs and professionals would go to on the first Friday of every month, when he visited Washington DC and Chicago.

With a couple friends, he started his First Fridays in Toronto in 1994 for entrepreneurs as a way to help grow their business – branding and marketing, media, health and fitness, as well as technology.

“We’ve never missed a month, we celebrated our 31^st anniversary,” said Salmon noting that giving back is a great gift and helps to give him a sense of purpose.

He also served on the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) board as the international representative for seven years.

The Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators (ONABSE) is an affiliate of NABSE and was founded in 2013 by Salmon and a collective of African Canadians who shared the vision of improving the educational experience of African Canadian students and their families, and to facilitate a coalition of Black educators across Ontario.

His community-building work has earned him a BBPA Harry Jerome Award for Technology and Innovation and a King Charles III Coronation Medal.

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